The 100th Annual Hunger Games- Fight Over Ruins
by Dutchess Frost
Summary: The 100th Annual Hunger Games is here. There was no rebellion, no one living in 13. Cato killed Peeta, whom was killed by Katniss, 26 years ago. Now Sydney Melwatt faces the worst situation of her life in the twist of the Quarter Quell. *Better than it sounds! Review please! Enjoy!*
1. The Reaping Of District 8

**The 100th Annual Hunger Games!**

**Hello, everyone. This is my new fan fiction, the 100th Hunger Games! Normally, I write Warriors stories, but I love Hunger Games equally. I will attempt to update once a week. So, here we are! The 100th Annual Hunger Games!**

**SUMMARY:**

There was no rebellion. District 13 truly was gone for good. Katniss Everdeen won her Hunger Games, 26 years ago. Cato killed Peeta when they were on top of the Cornucopia. An arrow flew into his skull moments later, declaring Katniss the winner. Now, young Sydney Melwatt is facing the worst hunger games of her life. The twist is absolutely horrifying. Let the 100th Annual Hunger Games begin!

**Sydney Melwatt's POV**

I struggled to button up my pale pink dress from the back. Instantly, a pair of hands guided mine to the buttons. I sighed with relief as the cloth folded over my skin, letting the short sleeves fall onto my arms. I stared down at the bottom of my dress. It wasn't long enough to cover the knocking in my knees.

My mother spun me around to face her. I slowly tipped my head up, trembling, as her eyes scanned me up and down. Her narrow face nodded slowly, fanning her brown hair around her head, stopping at her jaw. Her brown eyes flutter shut as she turns and falls back on her mattress. I slowly turn towards the glass of our window.

I don't look pretty. No matter how hard you try, you can't make me pretty. But my dirty blonde hair falls over my shoulders, my bangs pinned up by a small flower pin. I look… decent. For once.

Only because it's reaping day.

"Mom! Dad! Let's go!" My voice is trembling, and tears are threatening to fall. But I can't let them. Elle never would have wanted that. No. Don't think of that!

_Flashback_

"_Elle Melwatt."_

"_No, Elle! You can't go! No! NO!" I wailed in despair as my 15 year old sister, stumbled on her way upstage. "Please! Don't leave me!"_

_I struggle out of the twelve-year old section to run to the Justice Building. The escort, Light Van Lurie, looks perplexed. Elle turns on the stairs to face me. _

"_No. Sydney, go back. Now." But I'm not listening to her shaky voice, I'm running my hardest and fighting to get up the stairs._

"_I volunteer! PLEASE!" _

_The crowd is shocked. But Elle pushed me back. "No. My name is Elle Melwatt, and I am your female tribute for the 97th Hunger Games, from District 8."_

"_NO!" Peacekeepers are gently pulling me back, but I continue to fight, but it's no use. Elle has a pained expression on her face, and tears are swimming in both of our eyes. I finally go limp, and let the Peacekeepers pull me away._

_*.*.*TIME SKIP*.*.*_

_My eyes continue to close, but I force them open, waiting for the gong to ring out. My eyes are transfixed on Elle's face, frightened yet determined. The icy terrain has small cracks, but nothing serious. _

_The gong sounds. _

_My mother grips my shoulders hard as Elle remains frozen on her plate, unsure of what to do. The District 2 boy beside her hurtles off his plate, and falls face first into the ice. And he's gone. _

_The boy on Elle's right, from District 11, is smarter. He slowly slides across the ice, and is the sixth one to leave his plate. _

_Elle takes a deep breath and lowers herself onto her stomach. She slides across the ice, slowly, and manages to grab a small blue pack by the Cornucopia. She slowly stands up and slides away, before the District 1 boy throws a knife in her back. And she's gone._

_I screamed, threw tantrums, and sobbed. I was unsettled for weeks. I began to starve myself in attempts of suicide, but my mother forced me to eat. Elle never deserved to die._

_Flasback over_

I pant heavily as I remember my sister. Here I am, in District 8, wishing I was dead. I am now 15 years old. My sister died in the 97th Annual Hunger Games. My mother is nice, but poor. My father is kind but lets his temper get the best of him. I've been trying to commit suicide for the last 3 years. Elle was what stopped me from doing it earlier.

I smooth down my dress, inhaling and exhaling. Control temper. Control. Temper. CONTROL!

My mother slowly rises. "We're coming."

I don't wait to hear anymore. I turn on my heel and leave.

I find myself running across a meadow, ducking into the trees, and spotting the secure hide out me and Elle made. We came here all the time. Elle and I taught ourselves how to throw knives. "We might need to be able to do it someday," Elle had said. She learned from school what berries were good or not. She taught me. We learned how to survive together. We did everything together.

I plop myself down on a stump of a tree, and slide a bundle of moss out of a cleverly concealed hole. Elle and I did everything we could to make sure no Peacekeepers would find it. I unravel the moss and pull out a knife. Something Elle stole from a butcher' shop. I turn the handle in my hand and fling it at a tree. Bulls eye.

I never committed suicide because I was scared. Nervous for how much pain I would feel if I had this knife in my heart. So I didn't.

After a few minutes of calming down, I stand up, hide the knife, and proceed to the reaping. There was a bit of a twist this year- President Snow will not announce what the Quarter Quell twist is until moments before the reaping. I'd like to be there.

Minutes later, I am standing with the other 15 year olds, staring at the other girls. I see Michelle Alight. She was the girl who always teased me at school, made fun of what I wore, and picked on me in front of others about my breakdown at the reaping 3 years ago- my sister's.

She gives me the evil eye before focusing her attention back to the stage. I move my vision to the glass reaping ball. 21 of the slips in there are mine.

Before I can survey the boy's area, Light Van Lurie prances her way on stage. "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour!"

A click behind her sounds and a video starts rolling. Having seen it every year, and turn to look for my parents. At the back, I see my mother- frantically trying to signal to me. I knit my eyebrows together to try and comprehend what she is saying, but the video is nearly done and I can't understand.

The video stops, and an image of President Snow appears on the screen. "Good day. And welcome to the reaping of the 100th Annual Hunger Games!"

Light claps, but after a moment, she stops, because nobody else is clapping with her. She shrugs, and focuses on the screen.

"For the fourth annual Quarter Quell," He pauses as he rips open a sealed envelope, "as a reminder to the rebels that a fight can be anywhere at anytime, this Hunger Games will be held in the ruins of District 13. Each pair of tributes will get only one mentor. There will be only one day of training."

Nobody speaks. President Snow waves and signs off, leaving Light to take the stage.

"Well! This is quite a turn of events, wouldn't you say? Hmm?" She trots over to the girl's glass ball. "Ladies first!"

She pulls out a piece of paper from the far side. Her eye brows furrow and her eyes light up in surprise as she sees the name.

"Well… This name seems slightly familiar." She lets out a desperate sigh. "Sydney… Sydney Melwatt."

**I hope you enjoyed! Review with suggestions, comments, or appreciation! No flames please! **


	2. Visiting Time

**The 100th Annual Hunger Games**

**I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter!**

**Sydney Melwatt's POV**

Heat rushes to my cheeks and I clench my fists. My legs refuse to move. I take a deep breath, rub my hands on my dress, and march down the aisle towards the Justice Building. I hear my mother let out a strangled sob, and tears threaten to fall, but I hold them back.

I stomp my way up to Light and cross my arms. She stares at me, shocked.

"You… You tried to-"

"Volunteer for my sister yet she turned me down. Yes, that's me."

Light seems rather amused, and the mentor sitting at the front- a lady, maybe in her sixties? Seventies?- named Cecilia is grinning at me. The mayor raises his eyebrows, and motions for Light to chose the next name.

"Kurtis Vilyard."

I have to bite my lip to keep from crying out. No, no, anyone but him. No, no, no!

A tall boy with golden hair with hints of brown struts up to the stage. His hair is neatly cropped, and he has starling emerald eyes. I know him. Oh boy, do I ever.

When Light asks for volunteers, Kurtis's shoulders slump as nobody steps up. His lips are turned down in a frown, but he looks intimidating.

"Shake hands, you two," Light demanded, and we shake. His hand was warm…

The Peacekeepers escort us into our private rooms until family will visit. I slump my shoulders and keep my head down. Only my parents will come. I know it.

Kurtis Vilyard… Kurtis Vilyard… I know him from school. Just about everyone else does. He was the 'popular' kid in schools. My age. Girls trailed after him and he could brush them off like snowflakes. He was very athletic and really fast. He could easily beat anyone at a sprint or a long distance run. He's really strong. Apparently, his great-great grandfather was a player in something called the 'Olympics'. Sometime before Panem was created. Apparently, there was something called the Olympics and it was a sporting competition. His great-great grandfather was a- something called a… Javelin thrower? But he was really good and Kurtis would do anything to be as good as him. I came across him one day in the forest and he was throwing a large branch around, and boy- could he ever! I don't know what javelin was, but apparently it was important to him.

The worst part?

I love him.

And now I'm being sent to my death with him- is this the Capitol's way of killing me before death? If that makes any sense? Every time I stared at him, he would look at me and look away, so I knew I was never important.

The door opens and my thoughts disappear. My parents are here. My mom is sobbing, my dad is attempting not to cry. I hug my parents for a long time, tears running down my cheeks, until I realize my time is almost up.

"I'm not coming back."

My parents are startled, but I continue. "You know it. I'm not coming back, just like Elle. Don't worry about me. This is what I wanted."

"But Elle wouldn't have wanted that." My mother's soft voice makes me flinch. "Please try and come home. For her. For us. We love you, Sydney."

"I'll try," I whisper, "I'll try." And they're hugging me, sobbing, whispering, and my father finally speaks.

"Can you do anything?"

"I'm handy with a knife." My father is confused, and I sigh. I may as well tell him if I'm going to die. "Elle and I stole a knife and we learned how to use it just in case a situation like this ever came." Shock registers on his face, but he just nods. Peacekeepers are coming, and I tell them I love them, they say it back and are taken away.

I promptly sit myself down and cry.

But someone opens the door. Who would ever do that? I raise my head and nearly fall over.

Lily Hickery.

She sits down next to me. I remember seeing her in school, but I never talked to her. She sighs. "Listen, I don't have much time so I am saying this now."

I listen intently as she rambles on. "My parents hated your family because your father took a job that my father was about to have. He was very angry. He overreacts a little bit. I saw you on the first day of school, and I badly wanted to talk to you because you looked so left out. But I never found a time. I told my parents that day I was trying to talk to a girl named Sydney and I never could. My father got very mad. He told me to stay away from you forever. But your entire life is sadness and I'm here to help.

"My family assumes I'm visiting Kurtis, but I'm not. Take this," She gives me a small bag, "And open it on the train. My brother was friends with your sister, and she gave this to him. My parents beat him every day, but he loved her. When she died, he was devastated. I'm rooting for you." She winks at me as she leaves. "You have a friend."

I have a friend.

I have a friend.

I have a friend!

I want to jump up and squeal and never sit down, I have a friend for the first time in forever! But I'm too sad. Before I know it, I'm sitting on a couch on a thing called a train, headed for the Capitol. Kurtis sits next to me. Cecilia sits across from us.

"What are you good at?"

We stay silent for a minute. I think in my head. I could say I can throw. I'm decent in running- I can sprint. I have quick reactions.

Cecilia waits for us to respond. Kurtis shrugs, and says, "I guess I'm fast."

Anger bubbles up in me. He_ guesses? _He is so much more than that, and he knows it. But Cecilia nods and looks at me. "How about you?"

I sigh. "Nothing, really."

Two can play this game.

Cecilia raises her eyebrows. "Sydney, I can tell you've got more than that. You have long legs, built for running. You've got muscles in your arms- I can see it. You're observant too. So- I'm going to ask you again- What are you good at?" Her isn't exactly fierce and demanding. It's more… Curious.

"Why don't you ask him?" The words slip out of my mouth before I can stop them.

Kurtis and Cecilia stare at me in surprise. Kurtis's mouth is twitching, almost like he's smiling.

"What do you mean?" Cecilia asks.

"I mean he's more than fast. He can beat all the kids our age at school at sprinting and long distance, and then some from a year above. He's strong- I've seen him hurl around branches twice his height. He's intimidating, smart, and attractive, and I see no reason why he can't win these games!" I blush at the last sentence. Cecilia's mouth is half open, and Kurtis is looking at me like I'm a freak.

Well, I am.

I rush off to my room before I say something stupid.


	3. Pep Talk

**The 100th Annual Hunger Games**

**Thank you for all the reviews! I really appreciate it! I also have warriors stories, so if you are a warriors fan, please check those out!**

**Kurtis Vilyard's POV**

I stare in surprise and amusement as Sydney races by me to her room. I hear a door slam, and there is an awkward silence between Cecilia and I. She finally sighs and turns to me.

"She's right, you know. Being humble will get you nowhere."

"Whatever," I grumble. She sighs again.

"You're a stubborn one, aren't you?" She grabbed a small brown thing from the table- she calls it chocolate?- and pops it into her mouth. She stands up and brushes off her jeans.

"We'll talk when we eat." I nod, absentminded, and listen to Cecilia march across the room. A door shuts and it's just me in the room. Thrilling.

I stand up slowly and take slow steps towards the bedrooms. I see my room, and then Sydney's. Her door is shut. I slowly knock. I hear a muffled, "Come in," And I open the door.

Sydney is sitting on her bed, head down towards the floor. Her hair is sprawled around her shoulders. We stand there for a minute, in awkward silence, until she attempts to break the ice.

"I wasn't kidding. About what I said."

I shift from foot to foot. "You've paid attention, then."

She shrugs. "I see you in the woods. Throwing those branches around."

This takes me aback. "How'd you find out?"

"I used to go to the woods. Sometimes I still do. You know, behind the meadow? I used to go there… With.. My sister."

"Oh. Sorry."

She shakes her head miserably. "No, it's fine. I should have known this was coming."

"So… You've seen me run?"

"Yeah. At school, in the woods, and you walk really fast. I doubt I could lift even the smallest branch that you could throw."

"Why were you in the woods anyways?" I guess that was kind of blunt.

"My sister brought me there one day. We… trained there. With knives. I can throw. I have a lot of stamina."

"So you use knives?"

"Yep. Not that I'll get one in the arena, anyways."

"You never know. Show the Gamemakers what you can do."

"I don't want to go back."

There was another awkward silence, until I choked out, "What?"

"There's nothing left for me at home." Sydney turns her head so she's facing me. Surprisingly enough, she's not crying. And she hasn't been. "My parents don't care. I lost my sister. I have no friends. The one guy I do like does not like me back. There's nothing left for me at home. I'd be fine with dying."

"Your sister never would have wanted you to die the same way she did." The words come out before I can stop them, and I immediately want to take them back. She flinches away.

"She's dead! Being dead is the only way I can be with her again! I don't… I…"

She turns around so she's facing away from me. I hear her sniffle a bit, and I can tell she's about to cry. I awkwardly shuffle over and sit down next to her. She keeps her eyes trained on her shoes. Her eyes are beautiful- green around the pupil, with a mix of blue and brown around the edge, so they're not exactly hazel. Wait- did I just think that?

"Listen," I urge, "If you're better than you say- and I bet you are- You might have a chance. Okay?"

She doesn't respond. I try again. "Give it a shot. Focus on something in the games- a goal or something. Keep going. You'll be fine." Another thought flashes by. "We could be allies! Cecilia said you've got strong legs, right? We could do it together. Be out of the cornucopia before anyone notices."

Now I'm ranting on, but her head has shifted so she's now looking at me. "We could work together. Just like the 74th Hunger Games- Remember Katniss and Peeta? Even Cato and Clove! So many alliances between district partners never worked out, because of differences, weakness, and cowardice. But we can do it. Can't we?"

The edges of her lips twitch. "Okay. We can try."

"Allies?" I extend a hand, smirking.

She nods. "Allies."

We shake on it. Her hand is cold, but smooth. I rise from the bed and walk towards the door.

"Kurtis?"

I turn around. Sydney is staring at me.

"Thank you."


	4. Strategies

**The 100th Annual Hunger Games**

**Thank you for the reviews! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter! Happy early holidays!**

**Sydney Melwatt's POV**

I hear a light tap on my door as Cecilia calls me for dinner. I slowly stand, and trot to the door. Soon, Cecilia, Kurtis, Light, and I are all sitting at a beautifully carved table. Piles of white mush called mash potatoes are shovelled on my plate, side by side with roasted chicken. I've never had so much to eat in my life.

"So," Cecilia mumbles through a mouthful of food, "Are we going to explain our strengths again?"

Kurtis sighs, and tells her that he is fast. I add that he can throw, and he tells her that too. I add bits of detail here and there to Kurtis's story. After he finishes, Cecilia turns to me.

"How about you?"

I take a long breath. I manage a small look at Kurtis, who gives me a small nod. So I look up and stare Cecilia down in the eyes. "I can throw. I've used knives, before, in throwing. I can run too. I'm not as fast as Kurtis, but I can go a long time."

Cecilia raises an eyebrow. "Really? Can you use different things in throwing, like maybe a spear?"

I shrug. My eyes fall on the fork and butter knife sitting in front of me. I pick up the knife and turn it in my hands. I can feel Kurtis and Cecilia watching me, so I focus on two flowers painted onto the back wall. They have a thin green stem and a rose as the flower. I turn the handle of the butter knife I my hand once more before I lunge and hurl the knife at the flower. It hits the stem- directly in the middle.

Cecilia widens her eyes, and even Kurtis looks impressed. I pick up the fork and do the same thing, and all four tongs of the fork hit the stem. Cecilia is grinning wildly.

"This is amazing. We might have winners from District 8 this year." Kurtis slaps me a high five, and I'm grinning ear to ear. Cecilia vanishes for a moment and returns with a humongous knife.

"It's a steak knife," she remarks. "See if you can throw this." Light, who has been silent this whole time, stands up from the table and quickly skips out of the room. I hide a giggle.

I pick up the steak knife and feel the weight difference from the butter knife. But nevertheless, I take the same posture as I did before and I throw the knife at the flower.

The knife hits the wall and stays, hitting directly above the knife, on the stem, with less than a half inch of space between the knives. Cecilia leans back in her chair and laughs. "Wow."

"You're better than me," Kurtis remarks with a sly grin. I smile sheepishly.

"Thanks."

"So," Cecilia continues, "If we're finished, let's go watch a recap of the reapings." We nod in agreement. Soon, all three of us are sitting together on a couch, with me nearly touching Kurtis. Nearly…

Cecilia taps a button of a huge screen called a television, and we watch a recap. It goes by quickly, so I only pick up a few names and districts.

There is a girl from District 1 who literally shoves the reaped girl off the stage to volunteer. I think her name is Shimmer. Blonde hair and blue eyes, typical.

There's a boy from District 2 who volunteers before the name is even called. His name is Gavin. He's got brown hair and a very muscular build.

A girl from District 3 is 13 and weeps at the moment her name is called. She's dragged- yes, _dragged _to the stage.

A guy from 5, who's name is Robert, looks intimidating, and doesn't say anything at all.

A girl from District 7, named Lumia, sprints up to the stage and cheers when there's no volunteers. Weird.

Then there's us. I stand there, defying Light, and I can hear the Capitol commentators. "She looks just like her sister…" I bury my face in my hands. I miss the rest of the reaping. All I have sense of is Kurtis's arm draped awkwardly over my shoulders.

After the reapings are over, Cecilia calls us over to the table again. Now, there are chocolates and so much complex food, which I guess is what they call desert. I take a bite of something Cecilia says is chocolate cake, and before I know it, I've wolfed down three slices.

"So," Cecilia says, "Do you have any ideas for allies? Do you want to go solo? What do you want?"

Kurtis and I exchange a glance, bringing up the memory from an hour ago. I sigh, and start to speak on behalf of both of us.

"We talked a bit. And, personally, I don't want an ally, because both won't win anyway. But Kurtis brought up and good point. If… If we work together, Kurtis and I, I think we'd do well." I finish lamely, but Kurtis starts up the topic again.

"We're both fast, and if I can throw as well as she recalls, we can fight, considering her knife abilities. We could use those abilities to hunt. We could work together, get more sleep, like many allies have done."

"Who says you'll get a knife from the Cornucopia? Or a spear? Besides, the arena is already planned- the ruins of 13. There might possibly be little to no forest left." Cecelia crosses her, arms, almost if she's scolding a child.

"We're fast," I murmur, "And we could be out of the Cornucopia before anyone else is."

"Can you climb?" Cecilia asks suddenly. "Can you swim?"

"I can do both decently, but I love climbing and can climb really well. Elle and I… We used to climb trees and our roof top all the time, because we pretended we were on adventures." I paused, and looked at Kurtis, who seemed to be thinking.

"I can't climb very well. But I can swim, really well."

"Hmm," Cecelia murmurs, "So you both do have some differences."

"We can do it." I slam my palm down on the table. "Don't underestimate us."

Cecelia's eyes widen. "That's it! Have your opponents underestimate you!"

Kurtis cocks his head to the side, confused. I feel the same way, until Cecilia continues. "Get a low score in training. Nobody will have their attention on you. Remember the District 8 girl, 7 years ago? Flixus? She got a high score, and everyone had their attention on her. She was killed before the top 10. If you get low scores, like everyone expects you to, being from District 8, you can- and will- win."

She finally hesitates, afraid she offended us at one point, but nobody says anything. Finally Kurtis speaks. "It could work. Low scores. But what about sponsors?"

Cecilia bites her lip. "You'd have to survive on your own together for a few days. Once people see you can fight, sponsor money will be fighting its way to you." She grins.

"It'll be hard for you," Kurtis jokes, "Getting a low score." I grin goofily.

"No harder than it will be for you," I retort, flicking my hand at his shoulder. He laughs and pokes me in the ribs. I laugh too. Cecilia grins.

"Be positive," she says, "And let's hope this works."

We bid good night and head back to our rooms. I flop back on my bed, actually… Happy, for once. Sydney Melwatt, happy. My classmates should see me now. Especially at a time like this!

Then I remember Elle's bag that Lily gave me. How could I forget? I fumble with the breast pocket on my dress and pull out the small paper bag. I slowly turn it over and spill the contents on the bed.

"Oh my god," I whisper, and I pull out a pin. A pin she painted herself. It's purple and black. She made the hair pin in art class, and took it home when she was 9. I thought she wore it in the arena. Apparently not. This is my District token. No matter what.

There's also a small twig. I am about to discard it when I notice two letters etched into the side. 'E' and 'R'. Elle and Riley. I smile weakly, but there's one more thing. A crumpled piece of paper…

I carefully unfold the paper, trying not to rip the delicate page, and read Elle's scrawled hand writing.

_Dear Riley,_

_If you're reading this, then something terrible has happened to me. I could be dead, or worse. But I want you to know I would never leave you. I love you._

_Please tell my sister not to give up, and to strive for something she loves. If she does, she will find many difficulties, but Sydney is a strong girl. I know she can do it._

_You can move on, if you want. I love you, Riley._

I cry myself to sleep that night.


	5. Tribute Parade

**The 100th Annual Hunger Games**

**Sydney Melwatt's POV**

I grit my teeth as the last layer of… Whatever it is comes off. My prep team is removing every hair from my body, and I want to slap them hard across the face. Finally, Tina- a small, plump lady with long purple hair- tells me I'm done and I get to see Tiger. Okay, then.

My three prep team members- Tina, Luxio (Tall man with black and silver hair and too much make up) and Jia (Pronounced G-A, short bob of green curls) leave the room. A tall man whose features strike me as a tiger- Gee, I wonder how he got the name!- prowls into the room.

"Why, hello, dear Sydney," He coos. His bald head is tattooed with tiger stripes. I force a smile.

"Hi." He doesn't notice my hostile act, just continues to twitter on in his Capitol accent.

"I've worked on this outfit for so long," he cries, "Especially for the Quarter Quell!" He pulls out an outfit that nearly makes me faint of disgust.

It's so bright and blinding. He's used bright yellows and greens and layered them like ruffles. There is a small pink ruffle here and there, and it all represents textiles.

Without waiting to hear my response, he pulls it over my head. The ruffles reach the floor, and there are no straps or sleeves at all to cover my shoulders. I frown, but quickly turn it into a fake smile.

"It's great," I reply weakly, and Tiger squeals in delight.

"Wonderful!" He cries. "I'll get the prep team!" I sneak another look down at the dress, and realize the reason I hate it so much.

It makes me stand out. And I HATE standing out.

I hate being the centre of attention, especially with the strategy we planned in the games. I mean, some people might look at me, but hopefully Tiger doesn't make it do anything too crazy or else I'm doomed. The dress is actually nice, though.

My prep team and stylist return moments later and begin fussing with my hair and nails. Later, my nails are a lime green and my hair is flowing over my shoulders. My prep team stands back to inspect.

"Gorgeous!" They screech, and a weight falls in my chest. _That's not what I was going for._

I march out of the stylist room and make my way with Light along to our chariot for the tribute parade. I see Kurtis standing over by our chariot and I storm over.

He looks good. He's wearing black pants and shoes, but his top is like a shawl- the same ruffle thingies of my dress are now a shawl draped over his shoulders. His stylist was smart- the shawl covers his arms, hiding any muscle. He seems very uncomfortable in the shawl, probably because it shows off skin.

He sees me and smiles. "You look good."

Heat rushes to my cheeks. "Thanks, I guess. But my stylist is an idiot. I hate the dress!"

"Because it's so bright and over half the tributes are staring at you?" he replies.

"What?" I shriek. I spin around and notice plenty of tributes watching me. "Oh, great. This is horrible."

"It's just a dress," he reassures me. "It's not a training score."

"Well," I retort, "Your stylist much have had at least a bit of sanity if they covered your arms!"

He laughs. We continue to banter until Light and Cecilia prance forward.

"Smile, wave, do whatever," Light sighs, flapping her hand. "Just don't look too amazing!"

Cecilia grins. "Your stylist made you look good, Sydney, and that's not what we're going for. So act small. You'll be fine." She nods to Kurtis and leaves as our chariot jerks forward.

The light is blinding and I repeat Cecilia's words. I bend my shoulders and offer a small wave to the cheering crowd. Kurtis does the same, small waves, trying to look weak. It goes pretty well, too. Soon, the president has finished his speech and we are rolling away.

An hour later, we are eating dinner and Cecilia is nearly jumping up and down in her seat. "You did great. Great! And I have good news."

She waits for us to look at her before she says in excitement, "There's no private sessions!"

"What?" I choke.

"No private sessions," She repeats. "That way all tributes either go big or go home- well, die. So you have a better chance to figure out who to watch out for."

We nod slowly, and finish our dinner.

That night, I have nightmares. Elle is trapped on ice, and there's no way for me to reach her. She falls, and I wake up screaming.

But it's not Cecilia who runs into my room, but my ally. "You okay?"

I shrug and bury my face in my hands. I hear his footsteps move closer, and then he's sitting next to me. I try to calm down, taking deep breaths, but it's hard.

"Nightmare?" He asks, and I nod. He sighs and pulls me in for a hug.

I bury my face in his shoulder, and calm down. His body is warm, and within seconds I start to realize where I am and what's happening. God.

He stands up again after he hears my calm breathing, says good night, and leaves. I want to call out for him to stay, but I can't.

That is my goal. In the arena, I will protect Kurtis in anyway I can. I will make sure he makes it out of the arena, not me. I can do that.

Feeling satisfied with this goal, I drift off again to a sleep with no nightmares.


	6. The Truth About Sydney

**The 100th Annual Hunger Games**

**Kurtis Vilyard's POV**

I slowly walk back to my room, closing Sydney's door behind me. I can hear her breathing steady, and then soften, and I can tell she's gone to sleep.

It's not easy for her. I mean, I get nightmares too… But her sister died in the games. She obviously doesn't want to be there. Who could blame her? I don't have siblings… But if I did… I can't imagine what it would be like.

It felt completely normal to be there for Sydney. I mean, it obviously wasn't, because of the games and all, but I felt like I could stay there forever, hug her, comfort her, whatever it took to calm her down. I don't know what the feeling is though…

I slowly pad over to my room, and the buzzing of the TV screen is almost too quiet to hear. But I do hear it. And I slowly walk over to the main room, were the light of the television reflects on the carpet.

Cecilia is watching the television, her face dark and gloomy. She was so cheerful before… Cecilia looks like she had something phenomenal in her grasp, and it just slipped away…

I peer at the TV. Cecilia can't see me from the angle, but I can see her- and the screen. Oh, god.

We're on television.

Not at the moment, obviously, but Sydney is there- her profile, then her at the reaping, then her in the tribute parade. And I'm right next to her, everywhere.

Then the 'slide show' ends and Ceasar Flickerman is on the screen, commenting on Sydney and I.

Ha ha! I said Sydney and **I**. My english teacher would be so proud.

"Sydney Melwatt does not know what she's up against," Ceasar claims, almost sadly. "She doesn't know the truth about why she really was reaped… Or why her sister was reaped as well. She may die knowing this little secret, but whether she does or not depends on whether she is watching this now." Ceasar clears his throat and I'm not prepared for anything that's going to happen. I hear Cecilia inhale sharply, and my blood has run cold.

A picture of Sydney's mother flashes on the screen.

"This woman," Ceasar murmurs, "Is the reason Sydney is in the games. Before poor young Sydney was two years old, Maria Melwatt was part of the Capitol."

What?

"Her young children, Elle, at age 5, and Sydney, barely two, had no knowledge of her mother working at the Capitol. She would leave every morning for a train and came home before dinner. The father knew, but never mentioned anything to the girls. But two years later, everything changed.

"Elle, being curious, figured out where her mother was going everyday to work. Why she looked much more well fed than everyone else. Why her family was living in a decent house, and nobody else was. Her mother confessed. Elle was heart broken, but did not tell Sydney. Very distressed, her mother stole a little bit of money, or food, everyday. She gave it to the homeless and less fortunate as soon as she came home. Elle was happier to hear.

"But President Snow already knew of Maria's stealing. He wanted to see if it was a one time thing, or it would continue. And it did. Soon, she was interrogated. Cracked under pressure. This is how we know what we know. She begged to live, and President Snow spared her life.

"But he sent her children into the arena. As her punishment."

I feel like collapsing against the wall, and I'm not sure what to think anymore. Sydney was condemned to death at 4 years old. She can't possibly go to the arena to die not knowing that, and that it was the Capitol's fault. Not some random coincidence.

I watch the television for a bit longer, with Ceasar saying the Gamemakers will definitely make Sydney's life tough in the arena. Now, her mother's crime is announced publicly.

Cecilia slowly rises, her face pale with shock, and stumbles away to her room, on the far side. I slowly head back to Sydney's room, and pull the door open a crack to make sure she's awake.

She is. She is staring blankly at the ceiling, and slowly lifts her head when I come in.

"Hey," she whispers hoarsely. "I thought you left." I shake my head.

"I… I have something to tell you." She cocks her head to one side, but sits up and pats the sheets next to her, indicating I should sit.

I sit down next to her, and she turned to face me. I've never noticed her eyes before. They are a mix of colours- green around the pupil, the blue and brown alternating around the ring. They are not exactly hazel, but like colours of a paint pallet have refused to mix together. They show her stubbornness.

"I… I was watching the television," I start. I then I tell her the whole story, everything I saw, and her face changes from interest to horror and confusion.

"So… My mother basically granted me a death wish when I was 4, and Elle too?" Her voice is sad, but still has her usual snap to it.

"I'm sorry," I murmur. "I didn't want to you to go into the arena not knowing that."

"Why?" Her voice is rising, like an elevator, gaining speed and volume. "I don't want to know that it's my mother's fault I'm going to die!"

"You're not going to die," I plead. "You'll live. It wasn't your mother's fault! She was trying to do good for her town, her friends, yet the Capitol took the toll on her loved ones, not her. That's how they do things here."

"I am going to die," she hisses, "I have no chance of winning. None! Even in our alliance, we both can't win, can we? I WANT to die! My mother sent me to death. My sister, the one person I felt connected to, is dead. Because of my mother. I one guy who I actually thought might actually like me is never going to feel the same way, I have no friends. Face it- I have nothing- NOTHING- left to live for!"

I'm speechless and she turns away, tears silently rolling down her cheeks. "I wish I was dead."

I don't know what to say. She always seemed happy in school- well, she never was crying in a corner. Always standing by herself, and when someone said hi, she'd smile like the sun on a rainy day. Like nobody had ever said hi to her before…

Oh. Now I get it. A moment too late, too.

"Sydney…"

"Go." The words come out choked, and I want to leave, because she told me to, but I want to stay. I pick plan B.

I scoot closer to her and wrap her in a bear hug, just like 10 minutes ago, when she woke up from a night mare. It feels like I have too- The beautiful girl I'm sent to death with is broken, broken like a jigsaw puzzle, and I don't know if the pieces will have a chance to be fixed.

Wait. Wait wait wait wait.

Did I just say beautiful?


	7. Training

**The 100th Annual Hunger Games**

**Sydney Melwatt's POV**

I'm furious when I wake up in the morning. An Avox has left a training uniform on the night stand next to me, neatly folded. But I, being the stubborn person I am, stumble towards the closet and throw on a green sweater and jeans. Why not? I take one glance in the mirror and see my hair is a rat's nest. No different than usual.

I sigh and snatch an elastic from the counter. I pull my hair up, without brushing it first, and throw it into the elastic. My bangs fall out and I pin them up with Elle's hair clip. There.

I look in the mirror. I see a girl, with brownish blondish hair, in a ponytail. Her hair is frizzy, and her bangs are pinned back. Her cheeks are splotched (from crying last night) and her eyes red. She does not look human.

Yep, that's me.

I hear Light calling me for breakfast. I tell her I'll be there, but in truth, wait a few minutes. I care hear Kurtis walking past my room and my heart flutters. I nearly punch myself in the gut. _I can't think about him that way!_

I shove open the door and it hits the wall with a thwack. I stride confidently towards the table, head held high, my steps hard and serious. I ignore the shocked glances from Light, Cecilia, and Kurtis and plunk myself down.

I grab a fork and stab a sausage. I lift it up and twirl the fork, almost as if inspecting it. I shrug and shove the sausage in my mouth.

I look around and notice Cecilia is now smirking. Light looks so disgusted, she bats her eyes, hoping it's a dream. Kurtis is in his training uniform (Oops) and has a mixed look of shock and smirking on his face.

"So," I ask cheerfully, "What's the game plan?"

This takes them aback. Kurtis merely chuckles and scoops more fruit onto his plate. "First and only day of training today. Got to act weak and hope something bad happens to us."

I grin. "Sounds good."

"Learn survival techniques," Cecilia suggests, "Ignore weapons. If you have to, use weapons that you've never used before."

Kurtis and I nod. "Sure. We can do that."

"Oh, Sydney," Light says in a hushed whisper, "Why aren't you in your training uniform? Your hair is a mess! Where are your manners? You-"

I raise my eyebrows. "Cut me some slack, Light. I just learned my mom sentenced me to death."

Cecilia inhales and looks down at her plate. Kurtis fixates his eyes on me. His eyes are a beautiful emerald green- makes me wish I didn't have these oddly coloured eyes.

Light seems rather shocked. I'm guessing she didn't see the television broadcast. "I- Even if- What- That's… That's still no excuse to be so…. Stubborn!"

I snort in protest. "Please. I'm not stubborn; my way is just better."

Kurtis laughs and Light sends him a killer dare. Cecilia has a hand clamped over her mouth to stifle her laughter. Light looks so frustrated, you would have thought she'd just lost a chance to become President of Panem.

"Go get dressed, at least!" she frets. "I can't keep you looking like pigs for training!"

"_Keep _you looking like pigs?" I flinch at the sound. My expression must be enough to set her off because she immediately goes on defensive.

"Sorry, no, I didn't mean-" But I've already hurled my fork at her curly blue wig and stood up. But a hand is on my knee and I find myself face to face with Kurtis.

"Stay here. It's fine. You can deal with it." Our eyes connect, and I feel like I've known him forever and ever. "Be strong." It takes time, but I plop myself down in my seat. I have the satisfaction of seeing Light's wig sticking to the wall a few feet behind her, held by my fork. Her bald head is pale and wrinkled, and she looks so mad and upset that she grabs her wig and storms to her room.

"That was uncalled for."

"She deserved it, Cecilia."

"Even if she did, go get changed and meet us at the elevator. We have to go."

*.*.*TIME SKIP*.*.*

I stand in my uniform (sadly) in the training room, next to Kurtis. We were the second last pair, after the pair from 12. I remember their chariot- flames. Cinna is an amazing stylist, still alive and working since the 74th Hunger Games.

Atala, the head trainer, explains various things, but I'm not focusing. Instead I'm studying the training area. There's an obstacle course. I grin to myself, but frown when I realize I might reveal my talents if I try it. Kurtis lightly taps my shoulder.

"Ready to go?" I notice the rest of the tributes dispersing and nod.

"Let's try the obstacle course."

"Are you sure? We're fast…"

"I know. But we need to be mediocre. If we're too weak, and Careers catch us… they'll make our death more painful, because they'll know we can't escape."

"Yeah, but that won't be the case."

"Not taking any chances." I trot off to the obstacle course, behind the girl from 1 and the boy from 9. Kurtis sighs and follows.

I watch Shimmer as she takes her turn. She leaps gracefully from platform to platform, and leaps over the hurdles. As trainers swing bats at her, she ducks and dodges and occasionally kicks one in the gut. As she finishes, Shimmer straightens up, smiles flirtatiously at the boy from her district, and flounces off to watch everyone else. Her time was 1: 01. That's really good. So, I need to be a little over that.

The boy from nine isn't fast- or stable. He topples a few times and is too slow to avoid the swinging bats. His final time is 1: 57.

My turn.

I set a light sprint, so I don't go fast enough to break Shimmer's record, but I don't finish after the boy from 9. I leap almost as gracefully as Shimmer, occasionally stopping. I furrow my brows in mock concentration. I would laugh and run like I used to in the meadow, but that would not be good for the training score.

The hurdles approach, and I purposely tip the last one with my foot. I fall, being the drama queen I am, and land with a gasp on my hands. But I rise quickly and keep going.

That's when I notice my time. 0: 58. And the last part is supposed to take 30 seconds. I grit my teeth. No more easy stuff.

I run at the trainers at my pace- even though I would gladly sprint, and it's taking all my effort to hold myself back- and dive to the ground as the first bat swings over my head. I kick my feet out underneath me and twist, knocking the trainer to the ground.

I roll to my left on the ground as the next trainer swings downward. I jump to my feet and run off. A quick glance at Kurtis tells me I'm doing well- TOO well. Oops.

Both of the final trainers come at me at once, so I leap back to avoid the first bat, while the second clips my leg. _But I could have easily avoided that if I wanted too. _I lightly shove one trainer away from me and dash away from the second. I look up for my final time.

1: 09. Not bad. Especially since I could have gotten under a minute.

I walk away, trying to look modest and small, but Shimmer and her district partner are staring at me. Kurtis raises an eyebrow at me. "Just lucky, I guess," I mumble. He nods, and starts his course.

His goes similarly to mine, but he goes a bit slower. I can see by the way his muscle are straining to run farther, work harder, but he has much more self control than me. He finishes in 1: 17.

"Good job," I say as he walks over.

"Thanks," he murmurs.

A sharp-nailed hand grips my shoulder and I want to cry out in pain. I am turned around to face Shimmer.

"You almost beat me," she hisses. "Are you really that good? I'm, like, the fastest in my district."

Oops.

"I just got lucky," I mumble quietly.

"Then let's see if you get 'lucky' with weapons." She drags me over to the spear throwing station. Her district partner says a few words to Kurtis, and shoves him in my direction as well.

She carefully selects a silver spear and thrusts it towards me. "Throw."

"I don't know how," I squeak. She sighs in exasperation and beckons her district partner.

"Copper." He nods at me and snatches the spear. I watch him throw, pretending to be intensely interested.

"Got that, 8?" I nod, retrieve the spear, and stand at the starting point. Now I'm starting to get nervous. _I don't want to do well. _

I throw the spear lightly, and it misses the mannequin. By a lot. I duck my head in pretend shame, but really, am grinning to myself.

Shimmer sighs happily. "Good. You're worthless, just like everyone else." I walk away quickly and quietly, hearing her mock laughter behind me.

Kurtis stretches his arm out to greet me with a light pat on the shoulder. "That was amazing."

"Thanks. Say we try some survival stuff?"

*.*.*TIME SKIP*.*.*

We spend the rest of truing learning survival skills. I pretend to flunk to edible plants test twice before I understand it. Kurtis spends forever on fires- but finally learns at the end. We both learn a bit about snares, and I find out quickly I have no chance with a bow. Kurtis tries a knife, and does okay- hits the target 50% of the time. I avoid knives, no duh.

As soon as we step into our room, we burst into laughter. Cecilia arrives moments later, grinning from ear to ear. We all laugh together.

"You nailed it," she says happily. "All the other mentor are already saying sorry for my loss of tributes again this year!

"I do admit though, Sydney," She continues, "I had doubts about your obstacle course. it was risky, but it payed off. You guys did great in survival- I hope you actually did learn something?"

We both nod happily. "Great! We're set! That was amazing!" She turns to me. "Sydney, when- yes, I said when- we get out of this, you will be a phenomenal actor!"

"Only one of us can win, though," Kurtis says quietly. The mood instantly darkens.

"I hope it doesn't come down to that," I mutter.

"Hey, don't worry about that!" Cecilia says cheerfully. "You've already done great! Training scores come out tonight, so just relax until then!" We nod.

Kurtis wraps me in a bear hug. "You did great!"

I laugh in his ear. "So did you."


	8. Training Scores

**The 100th Annual Hunger Games**

**Sydney Melwatt's POV**

I've changed into my same green sweater and jeans I wore earlier (and sadly had to change out of) while we have dinner. Cecilia is congratulating us on being bad in training, and Kurtis and I are just soaking up the praise. We make light conversation, but Light doesn't say anything. Apparently she's still made from me sticking her wig to the wall with a fork. Well, you win some, you lose some.

"But Sydney," Cecilia drones on, "I can't BELIEVE you did the obstacle course like that. It was a good recovery, I'll say that, but very, very risky. Why?"

"I guess I couldn't stand Shimmer being the best at everything all the time." I shrug. "Plus, our scores can't be too low, or else we'll be the 'easy pair' and the Careers will look for easy kills."

Cecilia considers this. "I guess. But-"

"Cecilia, please shut up. We did it. That's all that matters."

"I'm trying to tell you not to do it again in the future!"

"Who says there'll be a future?"

Dead silence.

"Well." Cecilia clears her throat. "During the games."

"I thought we were supposed to go full-out in the Games."

"True."

"So what's your point?"

"I'm just trying to win an argument here!"

"It's not wor-king," I say in a sing-song voice. Kurtis laughs, but attempts to turn it into a coughing fit. I giggle at his attempt. Soon, everyone (with the exception of Light) is laughing.

"I never asked," I interrupt, "But aren't the stylists supposed to eat with us?"

Cecilia's face darkens. "They used to. Remember the 92nd Hunger Games?"

"Vaguely," Kurtis mumbles. "Wasn't that the Games where there was supposed to be a big betrayal or something?"

"You lost me at 92," I blurt out.

Cecilia sighs. "Fine then. This is what happened.

"In the 92nd Hunger Games, the tributes were in a desert. The typical career alliance was on. But the District 2 girl's stylist was an idiot. That year, the District 1 tributes were suspected to be stronger than 2. So, District 2 planned on turning on the alliance and killing them in their sleep. The stylist knew because she ate dinner with them when they discussed strategy. She 'accidentally' told someone, and soon District 1 knew. They killed their alliance off the spot and the District 1 girl won."

"So.." Kurtis mutters through a mouthful of food. "That's why? Strategy purposes?"

"Yep." Cecilia nods. "It's good on our behalf, though. I can't exactly trust Tiger." She winks at me.

Cecilia stand up from the table and brushes off her sleek, black pants. "Let's go see those training scores."

*.*.*TIME SKIP*.*.*

We're all plopped down on the couches, staring at the television. I have my knees tucked into my chest, and Kurtis has draped his arm over my shoulders. I would scream like a 4 year old if I could, but I'm not going to, because I'm in too much shock. As if on instinct, I lean my head on his shoulder.

Wait. Instinct?

Cecilia interrupts my crazy mind. "Remember, this is all that matters. If it's low, we're good. If it's high… You're dead."

"Thanks for the words of wisdom," I scoff, but I'm actually terrified. I hope Elle's proud of me…

Who am I kidding. She wouldn't be proud. I miss her so much…

Ceasar Flickerman appears on the screen. "And now, our training scores for the tributes of the 100th Annual Hunger Games.

"Copper Underwood, with a score of 10."

Really? I wonder if Shimmer's that good…

"Shimmer Lopez, with a score of 10."

Makes me want to kill her even more.

The scores go around, until it comes to ours.

"Kurtis Vilyard, with a score of 6."

"Yes!" I scream, wrapping Kurtis in a bear hug. "That's great!"

We're all congratulating Kurtis and I almost miss mine. "Sydney Melwatt, with a score of 5."

I cheer in delight and we're all in spasms of joy. Light is grinning from ear to ear, and Cecilia is ecstatic.

"This is great! You did it! We can definitely work with this!"

And for that one moment, I forget about Elle, my mother's death sentence for me, the Hunger Games, and I sit there wit Kurtis and Cecilia and Light, cheering like I've won. What have I won? Maybe food, money… No.

I think I've won freedom.

But I haven't. Because I'm still here. Kurtis is still next to me, and Ceasar Flickman is almost finished.

Life will never, ever be normal. And it hasn't been…

Ever since Elle's name was called in the Reaping.

**Ha ha! You think it's done there? Well, I'm being nice and adding another bit of fluff. The awesome reviewers you are seem to like the pair :3 Who can blame you?**

**Just wait till you see what I have planned for them in the end… MWAHAHA.**

Cecilia and Light bid us good night and trudge off to their rooms. Kurtis and I slowly walk off to ours too, until Kurtis invites me into his room to talk. I think he can tell I don't want to sleep just yet.

"So… We did good."

I nod. "Yep. Cecilia has a lot to do for us now."

He grins. "And I suppose you'll be part of some of that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you're the type of girl who takes matters into her own hands."

I shrug. "I'm glad _someone's_ noticed."

He chuckles. "Well, I don't know much about you. Could you tell me a bit about yourself?"

I shake my head immediately. "I can't talk of home… Too painful."

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's fine. It's not like I'm going back, anyway."

He grabs my shoulders and look me straight in the eye. "Don't say that! You're going to make it home. You're great in survival and you can hunt. You can throw knives as well as a Career, probably better."

"You've got great techniques for throwing spear," I retort, "And you're stronger than I am. You're much faster. You know more than me."

"No way," he shoots back.

"Yes way," I snap. "Who says I even want to go home?"

Awkward silence.

His expression is pained. "Sydney-"

"No. Listen." I inhale. "I have nothing to look forward to back home." Exhale. "My mom betrayed me. My dad doesn't really care." Inhale. "My sister's dead. Thanks to my mom." Exhale. "I have no friends at all, and I'm hated by most people." Inhale. "And only one of us can come home. You know that." Deep, deep, exhale. "And I care too much about you to let you die."

And with that I stand up and march to my room, Kurtis's shocked face left behind me.

**How was that? Review please! :3**


	9. Interviews

**The 100th Annual Hunger Games**

**Sydney Melwatt's POV**

The next day passes very, very slowly. Kurtis and I spend 4 hours with Cecilia, discussing our angles for the interviews. I'm kind of nervous for the interviews, actually. I don't want to say anything that the Careers will use against me. People already know me as 'the girl who's mom hates her' or something along the lines of that.

"Okay," Cecilia had said, "We're not going for memorable. We're going for something along the lines of humble and stupid."

"You'll have no problem doing that," I joked, elbowing Kurtis in the ribs, almost as if our conversation hadn't even happened last night.

"Hey," he complained, "I'm not that dumb!"

"Who says?" I ask, raising my eyebrows. He gives me a good natured shove and we laugh.

The rest of the day goes along the lines of that. Light, however, is very impatient and makes me walk in heels as tall as a mug, like the one I used for breakfast this morning. That session concluded with twisted ankles, much cussing, and a very frustrated Light.

I go to see Tiger half an hour before the interviews start. In 20 minutes, my prep team has fitted me in a light green dress with thin straps. The end of the dress is just above my ankles. I get to wear heels that aren't as large as the ones Light had me practice in, thank god, but I still find them troubling. When I shift, the dress seems to change colour, from green, to yellow, to a deep forest green. In my opinion, it's like grass, across a field, and the yellow is the grain. The deep green is the forest. It… Reminds me of home.

"I love it," I whisper. The prep team screams in admiration and starts fussing with my hair.

"There's a split end over here!" frets one.

"The hair isn't even over here!" complains another.

But after an agonizing amount of time, my hair is in a messy bun with my bangs falling into my face. I thank them over and over again, and soon they are ushering me out to backstage.

Kurtis looks good. I mean, really good. He's wearing a crisp, black suit and a tie that matches my dress. His hair sticks up somewhat at the front, and I find it kind of cute.

"You look great," he breathes. I can tell he actually means it.

"Thanks," I say. "You don't look half bad yourself!"

Shimmer plays the cocky, flirtatious, sexy girl. She wears a very revealing sky blue dress, which is tight to her body, strapless, and stops mid thigh. I clench and unclench my hands. How badly I want to show her up, but I can't. I can't.

Soon, Sydney Melwatt is called and I'm walking on stage, a small smile playing on my face. The crowd cheers lightly and I take the seat next to Ceasar.

"Hello, Sydney of District 8. What a pleasure to see you here."

"The same goes for you, Ceasar." Oh god, I'm so surprised the audience can't see how despised I actually am!

"I love your dress," he remarks. "Your stylist is Tiger, correct?"

"Thank you, Ceasar," I say politely. "Tiger is my stylist, and an amazing one at that. I've never worn something as beautiful as this in my life!" I lean forward, resting my elbows on the arms of the chairs, and my dress flares a deep green. Gasps from the audience occur as I smile. "See what I mean?"

"Indeed," Ceasar says quietly. His voice is strained, like something is bothering him. And then he tells me.

"Did you know your sister wore the same dress for her interview? Without the colour shifting, though."

"What?" I croak. I struggle to regain my compose despite the new piece of information. "Well… I certainly didn't know that."

The audience gives sympathetic murmurs. But my mind is spinning. _How many more secrets can they keep from me?_

"And have you heard about your mother, Sydney?"

This time I'm ready. Cecilia warned me a question like this would come up. "Yes, Ceasar, I have."

"And what do you think of it?"

"Well, it was interesting to know that my mother sent me a death sentence at the age of four," I begin dryly, "But I am definitely not going down without a fight."

"Well said. And all this time, this was why your sister died. What do you have to say to that?"

My throat feels very dry. But I inhale and say, "My sister was the most wonderful person in my District. She was kind to everyone and always made sure I was fed before anyone else. We played together, all the time in the meadow by our house. We made up games. We grew up together. When she was reaped… It was like all of that was taken away from me. I was never the same. And to believe it was because of my mother? That's laying it down a little harsh. And if I do come home, she will not have a warm welcome from me. But Elle?" That was the first time I said her name. "My dying wish would be for her to be alive again. I tried to take her place, but she didn't let me. I… I'd love for her to have another chance more than anything."

The room is silent. Hopefully, They are touched by my speech. I find Cecilia in the audience, who flashes me a thumbs up while wiping a tear from her eye. Well then.

The buzzer sounds, and I'm relieved to get offstage. Ceasar thanks me, the crowd gives me a generous amount of applause, and I stumble offstage.

Kurtis congratulates me quickly before he walks onstage. I miss the first part of his interview pondering what Ceasar said. _Elle wore the same dress…_

Kurtis is chatting with Ceasar about his family when I come back into focus. The timer is almost up when Ceasar asks him what he thinks of me. _Do not blush, no matter what. Show absolutely no emotion. No blush. DO NOT!_

"Sydney's smart," he murmurs after a hesitation. "Definitely quick to react. She learns really quickly. I didn't know her well before the Reaping, but I'm glad I got to know her. She's a great girl."

The audience applauds and he rushes back to his seat. "Good job," I whisper.

"Thanks," he murmurs back.

The rest of the interviews fly by. We are back in our rooms, and Cecilia congratulates us on going along so smoothly.

"Now," she says, "Tomorrow the big day. Lots of sleep." She turns and walks to her room.

But I can't sleep. Not yet. Tomorrow there is a likely chance I am going to die, die just like Elle did three years ago. Kurtis seems to feel the same way because we sit down next to each other on the couch.

"Last bit of strategy talk," he mumbles. I nod.

"Okay."

We talk about what to do if we can't see each other from behind the Cornucopia. If we have Careers on either side of us, don't go into the Cornucopia too far. Try and grab a pack. Meet at the point where the tail of the Cornucopia points. If one of us, for some reason, can't get to the Cornucopia, wait at the meeting point.

We go over all of this. But I'm so nervous I'm afraid I'll have nightmares about tomorrow.

"Stay with me," Kurtis blurts out.

"What?" I ask in confusion.

"I can tell you're afraid to sleep. I'm afraid too. If we're going to be afraid… We can be afraid together?" he suggests weakly.

"Okay," I say, and we trudge off to his room.

He shuts the door behind him and I lay down on his bed, next to him. He has him arms wrapped around me protectively. It doesn't feel awkward. It feels…

Normal. And safe.

Probably the last time I'll ever feel this way.

**Awww so sweet :3 Preparation for the games is next chapter. Games will be in two chapters! Hope you enjoyed!**

**~Dutchess Frost**


	10. Games Preparations

**The 100th Annual Hunger Games**

**Sydney Melwatt's POV**

I sleep a lot that night. Surprisingly. When I wake, judging by the clock, I have 3 hours until I have to leave for my death. Kurtis's arm is draped around my shoulders. _I wish it could be like this all the time…_

I slowly rise. Kurtis tilts his head to one side, and I can't help noticing how cute he looks when he sleeps…

_No! You can't love him! One of you has to die, and you sound like a stalker!_

I pace nervously out in the dining room before Kurtis emerges from his room. "Ready?"

I shake my head. He sighs. "Me neither."

Cecilia appears from her room. Light trots behind her, her eyes wide and alert. As if I'd throw another fork at her. Especially now.

"Well." Light clears her throat. "It's been… an honour, helping you. Good luck."

"Thanks, Light," Kurtis murmurs, and I just nod my head.

Cecilia goes next. Her eyes show no danger of tears. "I want to say… I think you can win. I think you honestly can. I will get one of you home." She gives us both a quick hug. "Bye."

And then we're on a hovercraft with our stylists, getting trackers injected into our arms. The flight seems to take forever; I'm tapping my foot and chewing on my lip so much I feel I might faint of worry. A spurt of blood gushes from my lip, and I start gnawing on the inside of my cheek instead.

When we reach our rooms, Kurtis whispers good bye to me. "I'll see you soon," he says, his throat dry. I nod, give him a quick hug, and dash into my room.

Tiger helps me into my clothes. I'm wearing black track pants, a thin black t-shirt, and a brown jacket with the number 8 printed on the back in red printing. I pull my messy hair up, but my hands are trembling so much I can't even put an elastic in. So Tiger's hands guide my knotted hair into the elastic. After he finishes, he furrows his brow and clips Elle's hair pin into place. My district token.

He spins me around, inspecting me, I think. After I nibble on a cracker and sip some water, I hear a voice.

"40 seconds until launch." And that's my signal.

"Good luck," Tiger whispers. I stand in the glass cylinder. I look at him, and nod.

"30 seconds until launch."

"20 seconds until launch."

"10 seconds until launch."

And then my plate is rising, and I straighten my body and try to look confident. Step one? Find Kurtis. Step two? Go for the Cornucopia.

What Cornucopia?

All the plates have risen. 60 seconds is counting down. But all I see in front of me is a wall of rock and rubble. Glancing up, and up, and up…

I see the Cornucopia. It's on top of the mound. But all I can see is the distant tip of the horn. I grit my teeth. This means I can't see Kurtis as easily. But I can climb…

But, fortunately, Kurtis is four plates to my right. I frantically wave to him. As soon as he sees me, I point a finger at my chest, and then to the Cornucopia. I'm going in.

Kurtis's face is pale. He motions that he can't climb that. It's a bunch of uneven rocks, which I'm best at climbing. But he can't climb. I nod back, and survey my surroundings. Most people have noticed the Cornucopia. I spot Shimmer three spots to my left, and grin to myself. _Good enough._

I look at the timer. 19 seconds?! Where does the time go? I see Copper, a few spots away from Shimmer, his face pale. I crouch in concentration. 10…

9…

8…

7…

6…

5…

4…

Suddenly there's a shriek, and the District 11 girl tumbles off her plate. I cringe as there is a huge cannon explosion as the mines go off. Then I see Kurtis, and my blood runs cold. _He's right next to that girl!_

Kurtis jumps and wobbles for a second. I pose myself to leap at him, but I remember the timer.

1…

The gong sounds out, Kurtis falls, and the 100th Annual Hunger Games begins.


	11. Day 1: The Bloodbath

**The 100th Annual Hunger Games**

**Sydney Melwatt's POV**

I hurdle off my plate and sprint towards the rock mound. It's roughly 20 feet tall, so I know I could scale it quickly. I don't hesitate to look back for Kurtis, even though my instincts argue otherwise. I have to assume he is fine. Climb, climb, climb.

A rock tumbles out where my hand was and I quickly latch my hand onto another rock, cursing silently. But soon I am at the top of the mound, near the Cornucopia.

My eyes rest on the deep green backpack and I snatch it up. As I hoist the bag over my shoulder, I hear shouting below, and I notice I am the only one up here. The tail of the horn is to my left, where I promised I'd meet Kurtis. But I focus on my current task.

I lunge into the Cornucopia and grab a set of knives. Beautiful, silver, knives, with deep black handles. 5 knives in all. Perfect.

Thinking of Kurtis, I grab a silver spear. Clutching the knives under one arm, holding the spear in that one hand, I grab a loaf of bread and run. Copper and the District 2 boy are at the other end of the Cornucopia now, shouting at each other and scooping up weapons. I run faster.

I look down over the edge. Some bodies lay twisted, necks popping at a certain angle that makes me gag. They might have tried to climb.

And then I see Shimmer.

She's almost at the top when I come over and peer down at her. She looks up at me and her face twists in a scowl as she recognizes me.

"You little-" she spits venom but doesn't finish her sentence as I bring my shoe down on her beautiful face. With that, she falls, screaming, and hits the ground with a thud. I smirk in satisfaction and start climbing down the other side.

I avoid the boys from Districts 11 and 9, who have gotten in a tussle over a sword. I look around frantically for Kurtis, and I see him, waving, near the other side of the Cornucopia. I run over to him and throw him the spear. His eyes widen in surprise and delight.

"Great job-" he stops short and I'm wondering why. But then there's a flash of silver next to my ear, and a choking sound, and then nothing. Kurtis sprints around me. I turn around slowly and see the District 12 girl laying in a pool of blood, a silver spear sticking out of her abdomen. She is clutching a mace in one hand.

Kurtis pulls the spear out of her, the end shining in blood. "We have to go!"

I'm about to ask why when I see Copper running at us. Shimmer is limping behind him and my heart flutters in satisfaction. Then we turn and run.

I jump over rocks, twist around demolished buildings, following Kurtis the entire way. I don't know why we're running this way, but the yells have ceased and I think something's wrong with my vision- why are there trees?

But there are trees. Tall, lush, beautiful trees. I sigh in relief.

Kurtis turns to me. "Which one?" Then I realize he's asking me, me of all people, to pick what tree to climb.

After a quick scan, I pick a tall, sturdy tree with lots of leaves and branches for cover. I scale the tree quickly, while Kurtis follows more slowly, either he's nervous of just being careful. Probably both.

We're almost at the top when Kurtis asks me to stop. I oblige, and we find two sturdy branches, not too close to each other, but close enough. We sit down, trembling.

"That was close," I murmur.

"But you did amazing!" Kurtis's eyes are wide and his grin makes everything I did worth it. "What else did you get?"

I show him the knives, and the bread. Together we open the green pack.

The pack isn't too big, but not too small. Kurtis pulls out a water bottle and cheers quietly. "It's full!" I pull out iodine next, to purify the water. Kurtis pulls out a container full of crackers, and I pull out a coil of rope. We pull out a large, warm blanket together.

"Wow," Kurtis says with a smile, impressed. I feel the same way. The risk I took- that I could have paid my life for- was worth every moment, not just for all this, but for the smile on Kurtis's face.

"Thanks for the spear," he says. "I didn't think you'd remember to get one."

"How could I forget?" I say softly. He's about to say something else when the cannons go off. The bloodbath must be over. One cannon represents one death.

One, two three cannons all the way to twelve. Twelve! That's half of us!

"Half of us gone," I whisper. Kurtis nods solemnly.

"And I killed one of them." Kurtis seems to be so stricken by the idea when I realize all our adrenaline has worn off, and he's finally understanding what happened and what he did.

"Listen," I urge, "It was either her or me. You didn't have a choice."

"I know," he whispers. "But it was still wrong."

"I know," I say back. "But if we're going to win, we have to do it." Then I realize I said we. Not me. Not him. We.

Night falls quickly. Kurtis and I exchange stories about what happened at the bloodbath. Nothing bad happened to Kurtis after he tumbled off the plate, which was good. Then the anthem begins, and I creep up higher in the tree to see the deaths.

First is the girl from 2. That's a surprise; I thought all careers normally made it. Next is both from 3, the girl from 5, both from 6, the guy from 7, the girl from 9, the girl from 10, the boy from 11, and both from 12. Kurtis's face darkens as the girl from 12 appears, but he doesn't say anything.

Then I realize from up here that I can see everything. I peer though the leaves and spot the Cornucopia. There's a huge wall of fine stone surrounding the arena- the place is so tiny. Kurtis joins me.

"Wow," he breathes. "The arena's so small." I nod in agreement. We both climb back into the tree.

Kurtis asks to take the first watch, and I don't protest. I wrap myself in the blanket and belt myself in with the rope. Kurtis hands me a piece of bread, and I nibble on it for a minute before I fall into sleep.

**Whatcha think of the first day? If you have any ideas or requests for what will happen, feel free to post them. Ciao!**

**~Dutchess Frost**


	12. Day 2, Part 1: The Trap

**The 100th Annual Hunger Games**

**Sorry for the wait! I've been super busy! If you haven't, please check out my story (co-written with Queen Rebelle) called When Warriors High Meets Starbucks! Thanks guys! I love all you reviewers!**

**Oh, I made a mistake last chapter. I forgot to list the District 11 girl, because she fell off her plate. So, the girl died instead of the boy. So, newsflash, boy from 11 still alive!**

**Cecilia's POV**

I bite my fingernails as the gong rings out. I can barely here anything because the mentors are so loud. I spot Sydney at the Cornucopia. _Good._

Kurtis is near the tip of the Cornucopia, but on the ground, not at the Cornucopia. Smart. Suddenly, Sydney is down there with him. Then a spear is thrown. Then they take off.

I sit back and relax. They did great. Once I'm assured they're fine, I head off to the interview room. After all, when the deaths come along, Ceasar Flickerman is quick to announce results. All us 12 mentors are sitting in plush chairs in an interview room. Ceasar is here to talk to us about the blood bath.

"This is definitely a tough year for our females. We only have four left- Shimmer from District 1, Lotus from District 4, Lynn from District 7, and Sydney from District 8! That was a surprise!" Ceasar raises his eyebrows and turns to me.

"Did you expect Sydney and Kurtis to make it this far?"

"Yes, I did, Ceasar," I reply smoothly. The murmurs of the other mentors and audience fill me with satisfaction.

"Really? Was there some sort of strategy worked out?"

"Only that I am going to bring them home," I say confidently. "They're much stronger than they look."

"Thank you, Cecilia," he finishes. I fade away from the conversation as he turns to the other mentors.

**Kurtis Vilyard's POV**

I slowly wake up from my slumber. Sydney took over on watch a few hours ago, and judging by the sun, it's early morning. Sydney is sitting perched on the branch, eyeing the ground like a hawk ready to swoop down.

She hears me and turns. "Oh, good, you're awake."

"Barely," I grumble. She chuckles.

"Any trouble?" I ask wearily.

She nods. "Well, kind of. This girl came running by the tree, stopped, and then continued. I couldn't move or else she'd notice me. She had a spear in her hand." I nod along.

"Any news on the Careers?"

"Considering the view, they've made camp at the Cornucopia."

"What does the arena look like?"

"Surprisingly, trees border the outside. There's the huge stone wall that encases us all in here. The Careers won't know where to search, because the trees are fanned out and people could easily be hiding in the rubble of the broken down city."

"Thanks," I say. I drink a bit of water, and to my dismay, there's not much left.

"We have to find more food and water."

"Already on it," she says. "There's only one stream I can see- over there. It's small, and runs through the trees. It ends over there-" She points at a tree not too far away from us- "And it's obvious the Gamemakers want us to meet and fight there." I smile. She's really observant.

"I can go find water," I say. As she opens her mouth to object, I cut her off. "You know I'm faster than you."

She sighs in defeat. "Fine, but I'm coming. I'll cross the tree tops." Smart, observant, _and_ brave. Not to mention stubborn.

"Fine," I say. "We should take some stuff in case we get split up." She nods, and we divide our food, and leave nothing behind. She whispers good luck and I climb down the tree, weaving my way through the branches. I'm getting a lot better at climbing.

I land on the forest floor quietly, and look up to see a flash of blondish- brown hair fly to the next tree. I grin.

I duck behind trees, making my way to the river. Sydney described it well- It is pretty small. I look around nervously, duck behind a bush, and fill the container.

I'm almost done when I here shouting. Coming from across the river. I look up and see Sydney perched on a long, nimble branch, staring across the river. She holds up a sign like a C- she means Careers.

I'm about to rise when she waves her hands around. She telling me not to move. I see her quietly pull out a knife. Oh god. I brace myself…

**Sydney Melwatt's POV**

As soon as I hear the shouting I know something's wrong. I know they're Careers because I recognize Shimmer's high pitched voice. That tiny instinct in the back of my mind is telling me it's a trap. And I believe this tiny voice.

_Think like a Career. Think like a Career. _If they're making noise over there, they expect the tribute to run the other way. So someone must be behind Kurtis…

I flash a C with my fingers at Kurtis and he nods slowly. I pull my knife out of my sleeve.

How would the Careers know we were here anyway? They must have been travelling in the rubble, hunting for tributes. They could have spotted Kurtis, formed a plan, and followed us.

Copper and the girl from 4 are slowly stalking Kurtis from behind.

The girl from 4 is carrying a sword. Copper has a spear. Fear and panic are coursing through my veins, but I know I have to be quiet.

"I'm sorry, Copper," I whisper, but there is no grief or pity in my voice. Then I hurl the knife at Copper.

That's when I realize how stupid that actually was. I just revealed my position and the other Careers will notice something is wrong and try to finish off Kurtis quickly. But it was either Copper or Kurtis. I watch as the knife pierces Copper's skull and he slumps to the ground. The cannon fires.

There are shouts and roars. The girl from 4 is wildly scanning the ground, searching for the attacker. I throw another knife at her, and it hits her in the heart. Kurtis flies out of the bushes as the cannon booms. He scoops up my knives and races to a nearby tree.

Then I see the glare of silver out of the corner of my eye. I turn in time to see a silver spear racing towards me. But it's too low…

The spear hits the branch I'm crouching on and the branch cracks. I find myself falling, falling to the ground 50 feet below, falling into the leafy bushes. Falling.

Falling.

**Dun dun dun! What's going to happen to Sydney? Find out next chapter!**

**~Dutchess Frost**


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